Two people were arrested Saturday during Nation Ford High School’s graduation ceremony, said Ken Scoggins, assistant chief of the Winthrop University police department.
Evan Richard Crawford, 21, was charged with public disorderly conduct after arriving late to the ceremony, according to a Rock Hill police report.
Nation Ford High School, located in Fort Mill, awarded 429 diplomas at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Winthrop Coliseum.
Crawford arrived at the Coliseum at 10:18 a.m. Saturday and not allowed to enter the event, the report states. Winthrop police officers, who were assisting Rock Hill officers, asked Crawford to leave after he became disorderly, the report says.
Crawford got upset and screamed obscenities, police say. He was given multiple opportunities to leave peacefully, police say.
Crawford continued being disorderly and was arrested, the report says. He was transported to the Rock Hill City Jail.
A second suspect, Joshua Lennie Shade, 20, of Charlotte was arrested and charged with trespassing, according to Winthrop police Sgt. Charles Yearta.
Shade was escorted out of the Coliseum after he yelled during the Nation Ford ceremony, Yearta said. Shade was told to leave the Coliseum, but returned inside the facility. He was then arrested on the trespassing charge, Yearta said.
A handful of people were asked to leave Fort Mill High School’s graduation Saturday for disrupting the ceremony, which started at 2 p.m. at the Winthrop Coliseum, Scoggins said.
Scoggins said no arrests were made and there were no further incidents.
All four school districts in York County have set the same ground rules for graduation ceremonies, including asking family members and friends to stay in their seats and avoid being disruptive, according to a letter to the community from the school districts.
Rock Hill and Winthrop University police departments will be on duty during each commencement ceremony. Disruptive spectators may be arrested, according to the letter.
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